Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University, asserts that "Arab constitutions are not abnormally religious," even though they legally integrate religion in different ways. "Religion appears in the constitutions of the Arab world, almost all with Muslim majorities, in a variety of … Continue reading Comparing the Religion-State Divide in the Arab World: Constitutions

Greek expert Ilker Tsavousoglou (Ghent University) examines developments in Western Thrace, in Greece, to illustrate the complexities of modern legal pluralism where secular states have some jurisdiction for Islamic law. Greece recognizes an Islamic law jurisdiction in Thrace, whereby it accords muftī tribunals – muftīs being expert jurists who typically give advisory opinions in Islamic law – the authority to oversee and enforce Islamic law in the region. To some observers, this … Continue reading The Treatment of Women: Applying Islamic Law in Greek Thrace

This report assesses the attempts of a major oil company, East Cameron, to operate a large oil and gas company with respect to Islamic finance principles (so-called sharīʿa compliance). The bankruptcy proceeding that follows hints at the difficulty and potential conflicts of interest in creating sharīʿa-compliant financial instruments that permit company independence without sufficient mechanisms to avoid default. Read more.